Nrf2 inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition by suppressing snail expression during pulmonary fibrosis

OBJECTIVE Epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)is a phenotype conversion that plays a critical role in the development of pulmonary fibrosis(PF).It is known that a transcription factor snail could regulate the progression of EMT.Nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2(Nrf2),a key regulator of antioxidant defense system,protects cells and tissues against oxidative stress.However,it is not known whether Nrf2 regulates snail thereby modulating the development of PF.MEHODS Bleomycin(BLM)was intratracheally injected into both Nrf2-knockout(Nrf2-/-)and wild-type mice to compare the development of PF.Rat type II alveolar epithelial cells(AECs)RLE-6TN were treated with a specific Nrf2activator sulforaphane,or transfected with Nrf2 and snail si RNAs to determine their effects on transforming growth factorβ1(TGF-β1)-induced EMT.RESULTS BLM-induced EMT and lung fibrosis were more severe in Nrf2-/-mice compared to wild-type mice.In vitro,sulforaphane treatment attenuated TGF-β1-induced EMT,accompanied by the down-regulation of snail.Inversely,silencing Nrf2 by si RNA enhanced TGF-β1-induced EMT along with the expression of snail.Interestingly,silencing snail by si RNA reduced TGF-β1-induced EMT even in the presence of sulforaphane in RLE-6TN cells.CONCLUSION These findings suggested that Nrf2 may attenuate EMT and fibrosis process through regulating the expression of snail in PF.